Gravel / Gravé / Gnarmac / Groad / ATB

Yeah, that's my thinking. They're a last resort anyway. I'd hope to use dynaplug/anchovy for any normal holes and if I have to take the tyre off because of a sidewall cut or whatever then I'd likely just grab a tube.

They'd need to be patchable in case the tyre boot lets go and I wonder how abrasion resistant they are, given they'll be spending a long time in a frame bag or whatever. At least is this funky material better or worse than butyl?

Schwalbe say their glueless patches work on them, which they don't really on butyl, I don't care, they're not gonna get used anyway. Maybe I won't but them but pretend I have them.

I was 15k from home on a 200k, testing my Badlands setup when rear tyre let go. I didn't have a tube (idiot!). My missus rode to the next town and grabbed a couple of 700x40 tubes so it was all good. That wheel has been retaped now and I did Badlands without any issues.

but schwalbe claim they're better than butyl.

That’s my only criteria, as thin butyl are awful, especially for puncture.

Thin butyl tubes are stupid. If you want fast tubes use latex. Thin butyl are the worst of both worlds. They're an invention that shouldn't exist.

Also tempted to get one of these to reduce space in my tool roll as I lost tyre levers when they popped out the back somewhere on Sunday’s ride. If I can find one that would be happy in 28-35’s it’d solve a problem on the 3 bikes I use the most

The bigger the tyres the better the pack size savings. So for my MTB I could use a much smaller saddle bag to carry two spares and a tiny pump. But I'm just using it as a shopping bike so I'm not far enough from home to bother with spares, really. The gravel bike though, currently being used on the road with 47mm. That would be cool to ditch the half framebag.

@hippy there's some chat about the tubolitos in the TCR FB group, some have had success, others have had lots of flats and leaking valves. I've used one and had a flat quickly, but that was probably because the tyre was so worn out you could see the casing. Kim was using those too for a winter a year or two ago, didn't have problems as far as I know.

Cheers. That's the kind of thing I'm looking for. Real world actual usage reports before I spunk 25EU a piece on silly plastic tubes :) I tend to carry two+ tubes, even with tubeless, so maybe I'll make one a weird tube and then I can get to testing myself.

Wonder how they interact with remains of sealant. I assume there's no problem but you can never tell

Yeah, no idea, hence asking for experience. No good paying 25EU per tube if the sealant eats the shit in 5 minutes!

Could someone post a gravel bike, please?

Interesting if that’s where the geometry’s heading.

this is worse than me posting Rob English bikes in HHSRB thread

Is that an E-bike?

If it is, it makes it even better.

hippy, putting the grave in gravel.

hub spacing is wider. i guess for stiffness reasons?

sheldon says it is a result of a need for more stiffness because of reduced hub flange spacing (i guess from having to accommodate the rotor. i guess it is also helpful in dealing with the braking forces.

Steep, high and long. It's certainly a possibility. TBF you need a BB that high for riding Yorkshire's ruts.

I already own a bike that can take 50mm tyres and if I did use my MTBs off-road I'd probably set them up with big tyres, tubeless, quite low PSI instead of running them too high psi to avoid pinch flats and then losing all the grip I could otherwise be getting.

2 of these failures were on 42c “gravel” tyres, other 2 on 38c “gravel” tyres

I'm running bigger tyres than that on the road. I'm running mid-30 psi. I ran them (accidentally) below 20 psi and didn't even notice until I basically folded the tyre cornering way too hard after missing a turn.

Lightweight tubes >>>

high psi to avoid pinch flats

Sounds like you're an ideal candidate for inserts.

Tape, sealant and to a lesser extent tyres can be picked but most people can't just chop and change their rims so of course you're gonna have people having issues because some tyre doesn't work with some tape rim and sealant combo.

My first TL tyre was an experiment on a Light Bicycle rim that was always a pain to seat tubed tyres on. The tubeless Schwalbe Pro One went on with a hand pump, no sealant, like a fucking boss. I thought "what are all these dickheads on about with their stories of hosing the lounge with jizz, etc" and then I bought some used 650B wheels and they worked with the WTBs that were fitted but then I changed to other WTB tyres and would they stay sealed? Would they fuck. Had to retape them in the end. Then there was the Panaracer drama - front is fine. Rear is fine... oh wait no it's done 300k and then suddenly hosed all the sealant out. Different rims front and back you see? One rim was more sensitive to tape width. Once it was properly setup these two raced Badlands with no issue, but fuck me, they had 4 different people have a go at setting them up.

On an MTB, maybe. I generally wouldn't do anything gnarly enough to need them (could've done Badlands on a hardtail mind you...)